Synopses & Reviews
Islamic law (the Shari'a) and its application is a central issue in contemporary Islamic politics and culture. Starting from modern concerns, this book examines the origins and evolution of the Shari'a and the corpus of texts, concepts and practices in which it has been enshrined. Sami Zubaida here considers key historical episodes of political accommodations and contests between scholars and sultans. Drawing on modern examples, mainly from Egypt and Iran, Zubaida explores how the Shari'a has evolved and mutated to accommodate the workings of a modern state.
Review
"Combines deep historical analysis with a vital sociological and political perspective... it will be required reading both for experts and for the general reader with any serious interest in the world today."--Eberhard Kienle, SOAS
About the Author
Sami Zubaida is Professor of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck College, University of London, and author of
Islam, the People and the State (I.B.Tauris).
Table of Contents
Introduction * Concepts, Origins and Mutations * Institutions: Courts, Qadis and Muftis * The Shari'a and Political Authority * The Age of Reform: The Etatization of law * The Shari'a in Modern Debates and Insitutions: Egypt * The Politics of the Shari'a in Iran * Conclusion * Notes on the Text * References * Glossary * Index